Powell all set to storm Palace!

ASAFA Powell will arrive for his 100metres clash with Tyson Gay in Friday night’s Aviva Grand Prix at Crystal Palace with his confidence high after a brilliant win over Usain Bolt in last night’s IAAF Super Grand Prix in Stockholm.

ASAFA Powell will arrive for his 100metres clash with Tyson Gay in Friday night’s Aviva Grand Prix at Crystal Palace with his confidence high after a brilliant win over Usain Bolt in last night’s IAAF Super Grand Prix in Stockholm.

Powell - rather than form man Bolt - who took away his world record by two hundredths of a second with a time of 9.72sec at the end of May - produced the lightning start in Sweden’s 1912 Olympic stadium.

That swiftness out of his blocks carried him into an unassailable lead, although his younger Jamaican rival nearly snatched what would have been a dramatic victory with a storming last ten metres that almost closed the gap

“I was really happy with the race,” said Powell. “My goal was to win. My start was quick and fast. And the speed stayed with me through the finish. I’m really looking forward to the Olympics.

“But I did make mistakes I know that, particularly in the last 20 metres when I slowed down too early,” said the 25-year-old Commonwealth champion who clocked a season’s best of 9.88sec ahead of Bolt with Norway’s Jaysuma Ndure third.

“But I’m very excited with the win and looking forward to the meeting with Tyson in London.”

The head-to-head clash between the pair of Caribbean titans was the highlight of what was a sparkling meeting in Stockholm.